Rio
On Flamingo about two blocks west of the Strip, the Rio is the current home of the World Series of Poker. You wouldn't know it from the poker room itself, however, which is only 10 tables squeezed into a side corner of the sportsbook (a half-wall separates the two, so the poker room at least feels separate). During the WSOP, they set up hundreds of tables in ballrooms elsewhere in the hotel. When the WSOP isn't running, the poker room is one of the lesser venues available near the Strip. Games Limit hold 'em: 4/8 with an optional kill (if players want it) No-limit hold 'em: 2/5 blinds. Spread often, but not always. Posting: New players need not post. Shuffling: All tables shuffled by hand. Wait Time: Can be anywhere from 0 to 2 hours or more for a seat. There aren't a lot of cash games here, and may only be one or two games going at any given time. Tournaments * every day, noon. Jackpots and Promotions Standard monte carlo jackpots. Participates in the Harrah's multi-casino bad beat jackpot which starts at $50,000 for quad-10's losing. Atmosphere A decent sized room, but not huge. A glass half-wall separates it from the walkway that leads outside (and the buffet is right next door, so at busy meal times the lines can curve around outside the glass wall and everyone can watch you play while waiting to eat). Kind of remote in the casino, not too close to the slot-machine area. An OK room but not great. The brush will sell you chips and cash you out, and the dealers keep their own tips. Six plasma TV's are hung on the wall. Due to the close proximity to the sports book, cellphones are prohibited in the room. That alone will probably kill the side action at the WSOP. The feel of the room notwithstanding, the staff are very good and seemed more experienced than at other small card rooms that have sprung up in Las Vegas. Neighborhood: Off strip next to the Palms and Gold Coast. OK neighborhood, but nothing to write home about. Parking: Plenty of parking in multiple parking garages. Most convenient to the poker room: enter on the west side, on Valley View, and enter as though you're going to go the North Parking Garage. But don't go in the garage; instead, turn right where the sign says Valet Parking. Drive down that little driveway a bit and you'll see more signs for Self Parking. Park anywhere here, and the closest casino entrance (right on that side of the building) leads directly to the Poker Room. Tables and Chairs: Standard Vegas 10-player tables. Felt is fairly worn, and the tables themselves are more wobbly than you might expect at a higher-class joint like the Rio. Black vinyl armrests with inset cupholders, slightly thinner than normal vinyl, but OK. Player chairs are disappointing, standard metal-frame fixed-leg chairs with some padding; backs of the chairs are decorated with the WSOP logo. Smoking: No smoking is the rule, and there's not much casino around so it doesn't float in. Service and Comps The cocktail service was adequate. They apparently also don't mind food at the table as one player was eating an entire meal there. This is common in California, but looks sort of strange in Las Vegas unless it's the $1000/$2000 mixed game at Bellagio. Notes and Links * Original review comments by: Troy Denkinger, Pokergeek.com * Visited by MarkT in Nov 2006.